Great Expectations
Last month, I had the opportunity to go on my first archery elk hunt in Montana. After several years of purchasing and building up points in the system, I was able to draw the tag for the fall of 2026. My expectations going into the hunt were pretty high. Having hunted for many years now, I know that nothing is guaranteed when it comes to chasing wild animals but I still had high hopes for this adventure.
I spent months preparing physically and mentally for this hunt. I invested so much time and effort into being as ready as I could be for whatever may come my way once I got to Montana in late September. Not to mention the amount of money it costs to make an out-of-state hunt like this happen.
The tricky thing about expectations is there are often variables that are outside of your control…and this idea carries over from the world of archery elk hunting to construction recruiting as well. Here’s what I mean:
1) When I arrived in Montana, the elk were not nearly as vocal as I expected them to be at what is typically the time of their peak rut in this area. I expected the elk to be bugling frequently which would allow us to locate the bulls and make a move to get in closer to them. Their lack of “talking” was out of my control. Same can be true in the recruiting world. I can spend tons of time and effort each week reaching out and calling well-qualified candidates, but if they are not willing to have a conversation with me, there’s not much I can do about it.
2) With elk hunting in archery season, timing is everything. The beginning of my hunt was taking place at the same time as a huge full-moon phase which was also accompanied by very warm temperatures. Not ideal hunting conditions by any means. Once again, a variable outside of my control. When animals like elk have a full moon and warmer-than-usual temperatures, this typically means they are going to do more of their moving & rutting during the night. Therefore, spending most of the day laying quietly in their beds. This makes them very hard to find and even harder to hunt. The same thing is true in recruiting. Timing is everything. If a candidate has had some frustrations with their current job or feels they have hit a point where they cannot grow more where they are, then they are much more likely to engage in a conversation with me about a new opportunity. The timing is right. However, if things are going well or if their family is in a busy season of life then making a change may feel like too much of a hurdle to consider during that time.
Expectations seem to play a big part of our lives both personally and professionally. We have to focus on the input and give it our best no matter the other factors that may affect the outcome.